Ariadne's Daughter
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: Arthur's Ex has returned wanting custody of his daughter Darcy. Apart of my little family series. Set after "Ariadne's Memories, Arhtur's Other Woman, The Family Man and Arthur's Daughter".
1. Chapter 1

**Arthur's Ex has returned wanting custody of his daughter Darcy. **

**Apart of my little family series. **

**Set right after the events of :**

**20. "Ariadne's Memories"**

**19. "Arthur's Other Woman"**

**18."The Family Man"**

**17. "Arthur's Daughter"**

**16. "Dream Collapsing"**

**15. "Arthur's Betrayal"**

**14. **"**The Kick"**

**13.** "**Ariadne's Secrets"**

**12.** "**Ariadne's Birthday"**

**11.**"**Arthur's Ghosts"**

**10.** "**Ariadne's True Love"**

**9.** "**Hostage"**

**8.** "**Bedtime Stories"**

**7. **"**Arthur's Secrets"**

**6. **"**Never Hold Back"**

**5.** "**Deception"**

**4.**"**Arthur's Birthday"**

**3.** "**Ariadne's Thread"**

**2.** "**Arthur's Totem" **

**and...**

**1.**"**A Week at This Level"**

**Please read them or else you won't know what's going on. Don't worry kids. There is erotica! I plan, when the series is done, to put it all in one BIG story. **

**But who knows if their story will ever be done? **

Arthur's Fight

1.

~ Ariadne looked at the semi-precious gem stones that were neatly fitted into a simple ring. Arthur had given it to her that morning in New York before they set out to have their meeting with Beck and her lawyer.

She looked over the elegant art work of stones. Garnet for Darcy, emerald for Dominic, amethyst for Daniel and a diamond for Drew.

She had to admit, the idea of a mother ring was a little out of date, but Arthur wanted to prove a point.

"You know, you don't have to get me a new piece of jewelry every time you feel you've done something wrong." she told him.

"I know." Arthur said as he drove them to the law office where they would be having the mediation. "I just want to prove to you that Darcy is one of our children, and she isn't going to be taken away."

"Of course not. How that woman got out is amazing." Ariadne sighed. "I mean, she beat a helpless little girl, she tried to kill me and she wouldn't even lift a finger to save her own child who was dieing from cancer. I can't believe a judge is even willing to hear this."

"Well, he is. Hopefully we'll be back on a plane to Paris tonight." Arthur told her.  
"You don't want to visit your mom's old friend, Tomas Ward?" she asked remembering the well toned dance partner of her late mother in-law.

"What is it with you and that guy?" Arthur said with a smile. "Not only is he in his 60's now, but he's gay."

"I know." Ariadne said sadly. "But I have to tell you, if he was strait and thirty years younger, I would leave you for him."

She looked longingly out the window as her husband took her hand.

"It's just so unfair such a good looking man is gay." she said at last as he kissed her hand to smother a laugh.

~ The law offices were well polished and pristine looking. Arthur had to admit that it was refreshing being back in America, even if it was only a day trip. Everything here was new and youthful. Anything old and outdated was cleared out of the way to make room for better things. He admired the marble hallways and perfectly working elevators as they reached the mediators office.

He noticed Ariadne was looking at her mothers ring again.  
"There isn't room for another stone." she said at last. "What if we have another baby?"

Arthur looked startled. He eyes going wide as he felt his pretty wife must be pulling his leg.  
"You're joking right?" he asked when she didn't laugh.

"No." she said at last.  
"You know I had a vasectomy." he snapped.  
"You could get it reversed." she told him casually.  
"Ariadne-" he took a deep breath. "We're not having this conversation right now." he said rubbing his eyes.

"Alright." she said with a shrug as the elevator dinged to their floor.  
"Arthur!" came a well groomed older man. "You must be Ariadne."

"Ariadne, this is Mr. Housman. He's the lawyer I hired to take over from McClain." Arthur explained.  
"Good to finally meet you." Ariadne said.  
"I'm afraid you won't be able to come in." Housman said to her nervously.  
"I'm the one she tried to kill." Ariadne snapped. "She broke into my home, assaulted my child and tried to drown me."

"And if this were a criminal trial you would be able to face her. But this is a custody hearing to determine the fate of a minor child." Housman said.

"Who she abused." Ariadne barked.

"It's more complicated than we first hoped." Housman said looking scared.

"How so?" Arthur asked darkly. "We tell the judge about the years of abuse Darcy had endured, all of which is documented. We show the court records granting me custody of her. Then we round it all off with the police reports from Paris where she attacked my wife and tried to murder her." Arthur snarled.

"It's not going to happen that way." Housman told them.  
"Well, then you need to make it happen that way." Arthur said in a tone that made Ariadne afraid.

Housman shook his head.  
"The incident in Paris, where she broke in and tried to kill you has been thrown out." Housman said.

"What?" Ariadne gasped.

"It seems there were misfiling in the police reports and something about you being given a sedative before you gave your statement." Housman explained.  
"To calm me down because some crazy woman tried to kill me!" Ariadne snapped.

"France and American judicial systems have never gotten along. The judge ruled that the assault is inadmissible, Becky claims she was attempting to visit her daughter and there was a fight." Housman told them sadly.  
"She was in _prison_ for this assault!" Arthur said sharply. "She went to prison for attempted murder."

"Technically, she didn't." Housman said sadly. "She went into a _voluntary_ treatment facility for a few years to deal with anger instead of a trial or prison time."

Arthur and Ariadne wore twin face of rage that this had happened.  
"I know, I know the assault on you was our ace in the hole. But we still have a lot to work with. We have the fact she is an abuser of children. She has documented anger issues, and you're a blood relation who has taken care of this child for over six years now." Housman told them. "All of that will work in our favor."

A bailiff opened one of the finely carved mahogany doors.

"The other party is ready." he said solemnly to them.

Ariadne took a deep breath as she caught a glance at Becky sitting at a conference style table. She suddenly felt dizzy.  
"It's will be alright. We'll be done in ten minutes." Arthur whispered as he kissed her temple in full view of the conference room.

_'He wanted Becky to see that he loves me, not her.'_ Ariadne thought as she was glad she wore an expensive navy blue dress suit and had her hair done special. She felt oddly protected by her fine clothes and her Paris address. She stayed out in the hall as the bailiff closed the doors to the proceeding.

~ "We are here to determine custody of the minor child Darcy Ann Lawson." the judge said as Arthur glared at his ex girl friend.

Becky looked more confident somehow. More stable and in control of herself as she listen patiently to the judge.  
"It's Darcy Ann _Rosenberg_, Judge." Housman argued. "Her name was changed when my clients adopted her."

"In this petition, the child's name will stay as is for clarification, but your objection is noted." the judge said lazily.  
Arthur felt his teeth grind as he wished Ariadne, Cobb or even Mr. Eames was here. He felt braver with his friends.  
'_Sadie. I wish Sadie was here right now._' he thought at the judge read over the dry legal matters and dates.

As if my magic, he had summoned the spider woman in his mind. His imagination telling him what Sadie would say about Becky.

'_That's you're ex? Oh Arthur, you can do better. I would be embarrassed. No wonder the only time you see her is by court order. Did you see those shoes? Pay-less much? I mean, show some class. It's one thing to beat a child and try to kill a woman, it is just unacceptable to look like a crack whore while doing it._' Sadie would have said.

Arthur felt the tightness in his chest ease at the thought of all Sadie would say. Yes, and she would say it out loud for Becky to hear. Not even pretending to keep her voice down.

"Do you have any questions?" the judge asked.

"Yes, why weren't we notified about the lack of blood relation?" Housman thundered.  
"We were given to understand your client already knew he wasn't the child's real half brother." Becky's lawyer said with a shrug.

Arthur snapped his attention to the proceedings.

Housman was looking at him.

"Wait, what?" he asked stupidly.

"Arthur isn't related to my daughter by blood your honor." Becky said. "He came to me when Darcy was under going cancer treatment. He was angry because he found out he wasn't her half brother. Apparently his mother was unfaithful to his father and he was the result of that affair." Becky told the room without looking at the Point Man.  
"Your Honor!" Arthur said and almost stood. "I would like to point out that I went to this woman looking for her help to save her daughter. Darcy was undergoing cancer treatments and needed bone marrow. Becky wouldn't even hear of helping her."

"My client has suffered from sever anemia all her life. It would have made her bone marrow useless, as she tried to explain to Mr. Rosenberg." Becky's lawyer said.  
"Bullshit!" Arthur shouted.

The judge looked angry.  
"Sit down Mr. Rosenberg or you will be removed from these proceedings!" he huffed.

Arthur was breathing hard as he finally took his seat.  
"Judge, the adoption is final, Miss Lawson signed over her parental rights." Housman argued.  
"To enter treatment. At the time, Mr. Rosenberg and his new wife were the suitable alternative to foster care." Becky's lawyer said.  
"The adoption can and will be overturned if it is proven it was based on fraud Mr. Housman. The fact your client is not in fact a blood relative is a very good reason to terminated his custody of the minor child."

Arthur was breathing hard. He saw his vision fading in and out as he was helpless to only listen to this judge.  
"The mother has successfully completed two treatment programs for her anger. She had maintained a job and private residence. She has the means to support the child and wishes to do so. I am ruling that the minor child, Darcy Ann Lawson, be returned to her birth mother, Rebecca Ann Lawson thirty days from today. All parental rights to the child on behalf of Arthur and Ariadne Rosenberg will be severed." he said.

With a bang of the gavel, it was over. They had lost.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

~ Arthur stormed angrily out of the conference room. He could feel his blood pressure on the rise as his pretty wife stood to meet him.  
"What happened?" she asked. Obviously seeing something was wrong.

"They..." Arthur panted. He couldn't calm down and was seeing spots again.  
"We're going to appeal, Arthur." Housman was saying as he heard a ringing in his ears.

Ariadne tensed suddenly as they saw Becky leaving the mediation office.  
"Becky!" Arthur shouted.  
"Mr. Rosenberg, you have no business-" her lawyer tried to intervene.

"Shut up!" Arthur shouted to the sniveling man representing Becky. "You want money? Is that it? Fine, I'll cut you a check right now you heartless bitch! You just leave Darcy alone! You never cared for her and you know it!"

"Arthur!" Ariadne said as she tried to grasp hold of her husband's hand.

"Bailiff!" Becky's lawyer was shouting as two large men in uniform suddenly appeared.

"Sir, you need to step away and let this lady pass." one of the bailiffs said.

"Becky!" Arthur shouted as his ex cast an angry look towards him and Ariadne, before leaving.

"Arthur, what happened? Tell me what happened!" Ariadne was pleading as the Point Man was breathing hard.  
"I think you just blew our chance for an appeal." Housman said as they had to watch Becky and her lawyer leaver under protection of the bailiffs.

"You blew this! How could you not let the attempted murder in?" Arthur barked.

"You're the one who never told me you weren't a blood relative. I could have prepared for it if you had told me. You dropped the ball on that and the court now thinks you're the one who is a danger to the child." Housman barked back.  
"Arthur?" Ariadne whispered.  
"So we have to hand over our daughter to the woman who beat her? We're not doing that." Arthur said.

"Well, then be prepared to go to jail for contempt of court then." Housman said. "The judge has ruled you bring Darcy back stateside withing 30 days."

"Arthur." Ariadne whispered.  
"What?" Arthur growled at his wife.

Ariadne looked frightened of him as she handed him a tissue from her purse.  
"You're nose is bleeding." she whispered to him.

~ "The doctor recommends you don't fly until you're blood presser is stable for 24 hours." Ariadne said as she turned down their bed at the hotel.

They hadn't spoken much after they left the court house for the doctor's office. Arthur was immediately diagnosed with high blood pressure to the point he was at stroke levels.

"It's just the stress from that..." Arthur swallowed the nasty things he wanted to say about Becky.

"I know." his wife said as she asked no more questions about the hearing.  
"They said we have to turn her over in 30 days. We can move to China or another non extradition country. Don't worry." Arthur told her. "Eames knows the right kind of people, we'll leave as soon as we're back home."

"No, we won't." Ariadne said gently.

There was a sad look in her eyes as she seemed to have given up all hope.

"Yes, we can do it." Arthur told her.  
"Arthur, what about Daniel? What about his schooling? What about our home and our lives? We're going to give that up and be fugitives? What happens if we're caught? We have young children at home. Who's going to take care of them if we're in prison? Cobb and Sarah? Eames and Sadie?" Ariadne asked.

Arthur stood and moved away from her.  
"Darcy is our daughter!" he fumed.

"I know that." she said feebly.

"We're going to just hand her over to the woman who beat her because of toileting issues? Who tried to kill you?" he asked in shock. "We're not even going to try and protect our daughter?"

"We _tried_ to protect her, Arthur. We don't have a leg to stand on, you heard that lawyer. We're not her blood relatives, they say we adopted her under fraud, Becky's criminal records are not admissible and she has served in treatment for her anger issues." Ariadne said tearfully.

"So, you want to give up? You want to give up on our daughter? We're the only parents she knows and you want to abandon her?" Arthur accused.  
"Don't you make me the bad guy, Arthur!" Ariadne snapped. "Don't act like I don't love Darcy with all my heart."

"If it were Drew or the boys being taken away, you would fight." Arthur spat.  
"Arthur, I was personally at the receiving end of Becky's mania, remember? I know what she's capable of." Ariadne told him.  
"Then why won't you do something?" he stormed.  
"There's nothing we can do!" Ariadne started crying. "We lost today! We lost her and we have to face it!"  
"No." Arthur said coldly. "We face it, we bury our daughter."

Ariadne looked down at her mothers ring. Darcy's garnet stone blinking back at her.

"You already let Sammy die at the hands of a crazy mother who didn't care about her kids, you're going to let Darcy die to?" Arthur demanded as his nose started to bleed again.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

~ Ariadne waited outside of a simple law office in the city. She wasn't used to standing around on the streets and was starting to worry the passing people would start to notice her well made coat and jewelry.

She caught her breath at seeing the blood woman leave the law office and almost ran to catch her.  
"Becky?" she called out hopefully.

Becky Lawson stopped and turned around, expecting to see a friend, not the Architect.  
"I have nothing to say to you." Becky said as she stared to walk away more quickly.  
"Look, I'm not here to talk about anything but Darcy. I just want what's best for her." Ariadne said as the two women walked hurriedly down a crowded street.

"I'm her mother, I'm what's best for her." Becky said harshly. "I can have my lawyer get a restraining order if that's what it takes."

"Becky, please." Ariadne said as her short legs couldn't keep stride to Becky's long ones. "I didn't press charges after you tried to kill me. Arthur doesn't know it was me that petitioned to have you put in a mental facility instead of prison. You owe me a conversation at least." Ariadne breathed.

Becky finally looked at the Architect.

"We can go to the dinner here." she said and Ariadne nodded.

~ "So, you work at the law firm?" Ariadne asked.  
"During the day, yes." Becky said as both women ordered coffee. "After Darcy gets home from school I'll be home with her."

"Public school." Ariadne said without thinking.  
"I went to public school. Nothing wrong with it. I know it's not as fancy as the private schools you've been sending her to." Becky said.  
"No, I know. I didn't mean it like that." Ariadne said feeling foolish.  
"I know you and Arthur have money and that you can buy whatever you want, but my daughter isn't for sale." Becky argued.

Ariadne said nothing as their coffee arrived.

"We're not trying to buy Darcy from you. But you have to admit, your actions over the past few years have not been a good environment for a child." Ariadne said as gently as she could.  
"I know that. I know I was unstable for a long time. But I'm on a good medication routine, seeing a therapist and I know I'm ready to take my daughter back." Becky told her.

Ariadne looked at Arthur's ex. Becky did look better. She looked less manic and angry as they calmly sipped their drinks.

Ariadne made a face at the horrible coffee. Why was it she could never find a good cup of coffee outside of France?

"I'm glad you're doing better, I really am." Ariadne offered. "But Darcy hasn't been with you since she was very young. The last memory she has of you is when you hit her and tried to drown me in the bathtub."

Ariadne was proud at how calm she was being to the woman who tired to murder her in a fit of jealous rage.  
"I'm not that person anymore." Becky said with a shrug. "I was off meds at the time. I came to Paris to see my daughter and talk to Arthur about getting her back. By the time I got there, I was out of control. I've had over four years of treatment and I'm doing much better."

"And what's to keep you from going off meds again? Darcy is almost a teenager. She was easy when she was little, but she's much more independent now." Ariadne said.

"My daughter is what will keep me off meds. I'm doing this for her." Becky said.  
"No, that's not enough." Ariadne argued. "You _beat_ your child, Becky. A child who didn't understand why she was being punished. Darcy is at an age now where she will deliberately drive you crazy. How are you going to handle that?"

"I'm her mother. She is my child." Becky snapped angrily at the Architect.

"I know she's your child, Becky." Ariadne sighed. "Everyday, we live with the fact she's your child. She's also a child still recovering from cancer treatments which you refused to help her with. You told Arthur you wanted her dead. You only agreed to give a blood sample after you made him promise you would be together."

"I wasn't myself." Beck said. "I'm better now, and I have health insurance in case she relapses. If she relapses, she's better off with her mother then with strangers. The judge saw that and agreed."

"If she relapses her only known bone marrow donor is in Paris!" Ariadne cried. "It's convenient for us, but not for you. Do you have any idea how expensive her treatments will be here?"

Becky shook her head and looked angry. A familiar spark of danger in her warm chocolate brown eyes.  
"You know, you have no idea what it's like to have your child stolen, do you?" Becky said at last. "To wake up, drugged, and in a treatment facility? To be told your ex boyfriend wants custody of your child because he feels you're unfit mother."

She said the word 'unfit' as if it hurt her.  
"You don't know how physically painful it is to be separated from the child you carried in your body, nursed and loved. To have her taken halfway across the world and have a new woman be her mother. My daughter calls _you_ mamma." Becky said as tears welled up in her eyes.  
"Becky." Ariadne started to say.  
"I'm not finished." Becky snapped.

Ariadne looked up at the woman in shock.

"When Darcy was born, I didn't have a husband like you do." Becky went on. "I didn't have money or nannies or extended family and friends to help me. John didn't even want to see his daughter and he had his lawyer send me a check every month. Then, to lose Arthur on top of everything else; to have him judge me and hate me? It was a lot to deal with. Arthur and I were childhood sweethearts. We had this perfect love for one another, this perfect trust. We wanted to get married, planed to get married when he decided four years in the military was what he wanted more then a life with me. So, like a fool I waited for him. I made a mistake giving into John. A let him seduce me because I was lonely and I felt Arthur had betrayed me. I know you and him have a perfect marriage and he's never hurt you, but he hurt me. Now he wants to take my child away. He wants to use his money and his perfect wife to show the world that I'm still trash and he will always be better."

Ariadne sat back in her seat as Becky finished her speech.  
"Becky, we're not perfect. Arthur isn't the perfect husband. But he is a good father to Darcy. You have to believe that." Ariadne said.  
Becky started to cry a little.  
"Look, if the situation were different, if Arthur was trying to take _your_ baby away with fancy lawyers and making you look like the bad mother, you would understand." she said.

Ariadne thought back to when she and Arthur separated. How there had been tentative talk of a divorce.  
"Becky, I... I lost my little brother Sammy when I was younger than Darcy. My mother, she would go into these... these rages. She wouldn't feed us and she beat us. One day she locked him in a closet and kept him in there for days. He died in there and I was put into a group home. You need to understand how terrified I am that something like that will happen to Darcy." Ariadne said soberly.

"I love my child." Becky said with a snake like hiss.  
"I know that. I know my mother loved Sammy to, but she still killed him. After everything you have put Darcy through, don't put her through anymore. Please?" Ariadne asked. "Arthur and I, were all she knows."

"We're done here." Becky said as she stood and left the Architect.  
"Becky! Please!" Ariadne called after the blond woman as they left the dinner. "Please, don't put Darcy through this! Think about what's best for her, not what you want. She had school and friends and her family in Paris."

Becky ignored her as she stalked angrily down the street.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

~ Ariadne came back to the hotel to find her husband still on the phone.

She took the electronic blood pressure cuff from the top shelf of the the dresser and took his vitals as he spoke to the new lawyer he had just hired.

"If you can validate the attempted murder on my wife, this whole custody decision will go away. Miss Lawson was arrested in Paris and I know it's hard to get the records-" Arthur was saying as the cuff released the readings.

Ariadne shook her head. His blood pressure was still too high.

"Alright. That will be fine. Call me back." Arthur said as she gave him a hard look.

"Still too high, Arthur." she scolded as he let out a long sigh.  
"I can't seem to get the assault on you admitted into the appeal." he said as he looked over his paper work.

"Arthur, we have to keep your blood pressure down. The doctor says you're at risk for a stroke." Ariadne said softly.  
"I have to fight for my daughter here, Ariadne; I feel fine." he said bitterly.  
"Did you have another nose bleed today?" she asked him.

He didn't answer.  
"Where were you?" he asked.

"I went sight seeing. Picked the kids up some presents." she lied.  
"Well that's great, I'm trying to keep a helpless child form being returned to her abuser, and you're shopping." he said bitterly.

His words stung, but not as harshly as they did last night when he mentioned Sammy's name. Since the hearing, nothing made Arthur happy these days. He was always angry and agitated.

"I've been thinking. Darcy has her iPad, we could video chat with her every night. See her, and make sure she's alright." Ariadne offered. "The New York Ballet even offers an after school program for promising dancers. We can talk to your mother's friend, Tomas Ward, about getting her in. Less time with Becky that way."  
"Were moving to New York." Arthur announced.  
"What?" Ariadne said in surprise.

"We're moving back to New York. We can be closer to Darcy and be ready with the appeal. Darcy will need us. She'll need to be able to come to us when Becky hurts her again." Arthur said distractedly.  
"Arthur, we can't just move to New York again." Ariadne said.  
"Why not?"

"Because you promised me that we would stay in Paris where we belong! Where your children, where your _real_ children, are! Did you forget about them? What about our friends and our work? We have nothing but bad memories here in New York!" She almost shouted at him.  
"I promised you we would stay in Paris." Arthur agreed. His face dark with anger. "But I also promised that little girl I wouldn't let her go back to Becky. Darcy sat on my lap after you were nearly killed and I promised her she would be with us till she was a gray haired old woman!"

"Arthur, we _lost_. We can appeal, but we're not uprooting our lives because of this!" Ariadne pleaded.  
"You _never_ accepted her as your child did you? You have the boys and Drew and now you don't care about Darcy." Arthur accused hurtfully.  
"Arthur, don't you dare." Ariadne hissed.  
"You don't love her; not like the others. Because she's Becky's daughter, isn't it?" he said hatefully.  
"Why are you so intent on keeping a child you're not related to?" she spat back at him bitterly. "Is it because she reminds you so much of Becky? You think you can make amends for abandoning your ex-girlfriend if you raise her daughter? Or is it because you want to hurt Becky by keeping Darcy away from her? It's your revenge on her for hurting you; Darcy and I have nothing to do with it!"

"Everything I've done has been for you and Darcy!" Arthur shouted as he threw the hotel phone against the wall.  
"I'm going back to Paris." Ariadne said as she fought back angry tears. She and Arthur had never fought like this before. He had never acted so irrationally before.  
"Go! Go back to our _real_ children. You're finally free of another woman's child!" Arthur shouted as she noticed his nose had started bleeding again.

"Arthur." she whispered. Something was different this time. Her husband seemed to wilt before her eyes and come to rest on the floor.

"Arthur!" she cried as she loosened his tie and he didn't answer her.  
"Arthur, I have to call 911, I think you're having a stroke." she cried as blood from his nose covered his dress shirt.

~ "It wasn't a stroke." The doctor said. "But he needs to rest. He's very young to be having these issues and is in good health otherwise."

"We're going through a custody dispute about our adopted daughter. The birth mother wants her back." Ariadne said as she watched Arthur sleeping in his room.

"Well, that will do it. I've been there, if it helps any." he said sadly. "I've prescribed a sedative, and as soon as his vitals are normal for 24 hours, I want you to take him back home. Forget about the custody issue for now. He's too young for a heart attack or stroke."

"Thank you doctor." Ariadne whispered.

~ Arthur opened his eyes to see the ugly tiles of his hospital room.  
"Arthur?" Ariadne whispered as he focused on the water marks.

"What happened?" he groaned as he felt oddly sedated.  
"You had a bad nose bleed and almost had a stroke. The doctors gave you some medication to keep you calm." she told him.

Arthur remembered now why he was so angry. Becky, Darcy and all the horrible things he said to his wife.  
"The doctor wants us to go back home to Paris as soon as you're stable." she said as he watched her fold the coverings of his bed. "You're on some pretty strong medications right now. Are you hungry?"

"We're going home?" he asked stupidly as he flexed both his hands and moved his legs under the covers; relived he wasn't partially paralyzed.  
"Yes, and we're not going to talk about Darcy until we're home and can see your doctor. I don't need to be a widow just now." she told him.

He let out a long sigh.  
"I'm sorry, Ariadne. I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I was so angry." he said feeling tears roll rebelliously out of his eyes.  
"I know." she whispered as he felt her lips on his forehead.  
"I thought we would win. I thought that we would go in there, win our case, have dinner after and go home heroes. We have money, lawyers and right on our side. How could we lose?" he asked.  
"No more talking about it until we have to." she whispered.  
"Ariadne?" he asked as she went to get him some water.

She stopped and looked at him.  
"You love Darcy, right?" he asked.  
"Of course I do." she said.

"You haven't been acting like it. You act like you've given up."

"It's because I _accept_ it, Arthur. There's a big difference." she told him. "I never talk about Sammy, doesn't mean I don't love him. It means I _accepted_ he's gone and isn't apart of my life anymore."

"You accept that Darcy won't be in our lives anymore?" he asked.  
"Yes." she said after little thought.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

~ Arthur was well enough for travel the next day, and they arrived in Paris and went strait to his doctor.  
"Keep him out of stressful situations. I know the custody problems has him upset, but he can't handle it right now." the doctor said. "I've prescribed medications, but the best medicine will be a low stress environment."

~ Back home, Arthur and Ariadne waited for Darcy to come home from school.  
"How are we going to do this?" Arthur asked he felt the effects of his anti anxiety pill.

"Tell her the truth. She's old enough to understand." Ariadne told him.

"I promised her this would never happen." he sighed.  
"It might not be forever." she offered. "We spoke with that one lawyer who says when she's fifteen, she can declare herself an emancipated minor and come back home."

"Fifteen. She'll be almost grown. If Becky hadn't killed her first." Arthur sighed.  
"We can't think like that." Ariadne told him as the keys in the front door turned and Darcy let herself in.

~ Ariadne was reminded of the quite, fearful little thing that had first come to live with them six years ago. Darcy had radically changed in that time. Her legs and arms had gotten longer and she was was tall for her age as well. She hoped she would have the right body one day and be a professional ballet dancer. Now, she was rail thin and like Sadie, was a mess of long arms, legs and torso.  
"Darcy?" Ariadne called. "Come here, please."

Darcy removed her ear buds and looked at her parents worriedly.  
"What did I do?" she asked suspiciously.  
"Nothing." Ariadne assured her.  
"Then why am I in trouble?" Darcy asked.

"You're not." Ariadne said.

Arthur sat up.  
"Darcy, we went to New York last week, remember?" he asked.

"Yeah, I stayed with Cobb and Sarah." Darcy said as she plunked herself down of the sofa opposite her parents.

"Well, we went to New York to see Becky. Your mother." Arthur said bravely. "She want's custody of you back... and a judge granted it to her."

Darcy looked at them both as if she didn't understand.  
"What?" the girl asked.

"You're going to go and live with your real mother again." Arthur told her.  
"No, I'm not." Darcy said.  
"Darcy, the judge said-" Arthur tried to explain.  
"I don't care what the judge said. He didn't ask me what I wanted. I don't want to live with her and I'm not going to." Darcy flashed with a sudden anger that reminded Ariadne of Becky.  
"The courts say you have to go back with her." Arthur said calmly.  
"Well, I'm not going to." Darcy said.  
"Then they will make you." Arthur told her.  
"I'll run away." Darcy said simply.  
"Darcy-"

"No, don't try and sell me this, Papa!" she suddenly shouted. "I know I'm not really your daughter, but you could have the decency not to throw me out of the house. That's really what this is about, isn't it? You have your own family now and there is no more room for me? My friend Natasha is going through the same thing and her step mother wanted her to leave because they have their _new_ family!"

"Darcy it's not like that!" Ariadne argued as the child looked angry. "Arthur and I hired lawyers to protect you!"

"No you didn't!" Darcy spat. "Becky came in here and tried to drown you and you think I believe any court would let her have me back? I'm not going! If you don't want me here, I'll stay with Sadie or my friends, but I'm not going with that woman!"

Arthur and Ariadne watched as Darcy left them and slammed the door to her room.  
"That went well." she sighed.  
~ Normally, Arthur and Ariadne would have surrounded themselves with their friends. Perhaps if they did, Sadie or Eames would have made some catty remark about Becky that would have been cruel, and made them feel better.

Yet, they didn't call their friends for the last two weeks Darcy was with them. They wanted to ignore the thing until the very last moment.

Darcy, the issue dropped for now, seemed to calm down at the return to normalcy. But the days slipped away and her parents knew it was just a matter of time till she had to leave them.

~ Daniel was sitting in the bathtub as Arthur washed his hair and rinsed.

Dominic was admiring his reflection in the mirror as he brushed the impressive new adult teeth that had started to crown.

This was their nightly ritual. Arthur would give the boys a bath and make sure they were fit for Ariadne's bedtime inspection. It was a brave job to do with two young boys, but he tackled it easily.

"Boys." Arthur said at last. "Darcy is going away to a dance camp in New York tomorrow."

It was decided that they wouldn't tell the boys until the last second, and that they would make it seem like Darcy would be coming back. This way, the younger children didn't over think the situation and wouldn't be too upset.  
"She just got back!" Daniel protested at the Point Man rinsed out his hair.

"I know, but this is a big deal. She's going to New York." Arthur said trying to sound happy.  
"Is that far away?" Dominic asked.  
"I was born in New York!" Daniel said happily.  
"Yes you were." Arthur said. "And we'll all see Darcy again soon. But when you say goodbye to her in the morning, I want you to be nice."

"We're always nice."

"No, you're not. But I want you to be nice this time."

"We're nice most of the time!" Daniel insisted.

Arthur let out a laugh.

"I believe that, son. No lets dry off."

~ "We can only take the most essential things, Darcy." Ariadne told the girl as she helped her pack.  
"I can pack on my own, Ariadne. I know you want me out of the house, but I don't need you to pack my bags. I'm surprised your letting me take anything with me." Darcy said spitefully.

Ariadne bit her lips and tried to stay calm. Darcy had stopped calling her Mamma several months ago for the more horrid title of _mother_. Now, she reduced her to a first name basis.  
"You can call me mamma or mother. You will not call me by my first name." Ariadne told her as she folded some of the nicer clothing in the girls closet. She wanted Becky to see these nice clothes and understand how well Darcy was provided for.  
"You're not my mother. Arthur's not my father." Darcy said stubbornly.

Ariadne looked at the blossoming young woman before her.

"I know we're not. But we loved you and took care of you. We deserve better than that." Ariadne told her.

It was odd how she didn't feel hurt by this child just now. She hadn't _felt _anything substantial since the hearing.  
"Who are you to me?" Darcy asked at last. "Are you my Aunt and Uncle? Why did that judge say I can't keep living with you?"

Ariadne took a deep breath. They had never spoke about to Darcy about her real father and why she had come to live with them exactly.  
"It's because you're not a blood relative, Darcy." Ariadne explained calmly.

"I thought you adopted me. We had a party and everything when I was little." Darcy said woefully.  
"I know. At the time we adopted you, we thought you were Arthur's half sister. We were always told you and he had the same father, but different mothers." Ariadne explained.

"Albert's my real dad?" Darcy asked hopefully. "Can't I go live with him instead of Becky?"

"No, Darcy" Ariadne said sadly. "When you went under the treatments, Arthur tired to see if he was a match for bone marrow. We discovered that you don't have the same dad."

Darcy looked confused.  
"Albert is Arthur's real father. But a man named John Rosenberg is your father." Ariadne explained.  
"Well, where is he?" Darcy asked.

"He died just after Arthur and I were married. Before you even came to live with us." Ariadne said sadly.

"So, my only blood relative is Becky." Darcy concluded.

"The judge said we based our adoption on fraud, and terminated the adoption. Since your biological mother has been in treatment for all this time and done well, she was granted custody." Ariadne explained.  
"I don't want to live with her."

"She might be better now. She's not like she once was." Ariadne said hopefully.  
"You just don't want me here." Darcy accused.  
"That's not true."

"Then why isn't Papa coming with me on the plane tomorrow?" Darcy spat angrily tossing her beloved bear on the bed.  
"Because the stress of losing you has affected his health and the doctors say he can't fly right now." Ariadne explained. "He's already hired and fired three lawyers trying to get the ruling over turned."

"I'll run away. I mean it." Darcy said.  
"You won't run away." Ariadne sighed.  
"Why can't you just re-adopt me?" Darcy whined.

"Because Becky is your natural mother and she want's you back."

"I don't want to go back! Didn't she ever think of that?" Darcy cried.

"No, she didn't think of that Darcy. She only wants what she wants. She wants you back to hurt us and she doesn't really care about you at all! She never care about you!" Ariadne suddenly shouted. A rage taking hold of her now that she normally never felt. "Now finish packing because we have to leave in the morning!"

**Don't hate on Ariadne, guys. She's hurting to.**


	6. Chapter 6

6.

~ The morning came too soon for the family. The boys were quick with their goodbyes to their sister as Arthur drove his wife and daughter to the airport.  
"You have your cell phone. You can call us anytime, day or night." Arthur said as Darcy sulked in the back seat.

"You mean if she tries to hit me again?" Darcy asked.

"If she hurts you, I want you to call the police." Arthur told her.

Ariadne looked at her husband. His blood pressure was still too high these days and she had volunteered to take their daughter back to America alone.

"Why don't I just _say_ she hit me? Why do I have to wait for it to happen? Then I can come back home." Darcy offered.  
"Darcy, we're working with the new lawyers to have this mess straitened out." Ariadne told her.

"I don't believe you." Darcy said angrily.

~ Arthur took a long time to say goodbye to his daughter.

"I want you to call me. I don't want to worry about you." he said.

"I will." Darcy promised with a certain numbness.

Ariadne watched them and felt like an intruder to the family.

~ Mother and daughter went first class on one of Saito's airlines and didn't speak much until they reached the international check point.  
"Where is she?" Darcy asked as she looked out at the crowds of people waiting.  
"I don't see her yet. I'm sure she'll be here." Ariadne offered.

"Wouldn't that be funny? We have to track her down because she didn't show up." Darcy laughed bitterly.  
"Darcy." Ariadne said and pulled the little girl aside.

The past month, the Architect had shut herself down from feeling too much. She built up a protective wall around her emotions that made this moment easier, but not totally painless.

"Darcy, I want you to know your papa and I love you very much. That we're trying to get you back." she whispered to the girl with blond ringlets.

"I don't want to live with Becky." Darcy sobbed at last.  
"I know. But you have to believe we love you and that we will get you back." Ariadne said.

She thought of something at the last second, her hand going to the ring finger on her right hand.  
"Here." she said as she slipped off the mother ring Arthur had given her a month ago. "See this? Your papa gave this to me before the hearing. It has our children's birthstones in it. See the boys and Drew's?" she asked.

Darcy nodded and tried not to cry as she put the ring on Darcy's index finger.  
"See, yours is in there to. Because you're _our_ child, just as much as they are. We will fix this, baby, I promise." Ariadne said as Darcy hugged her.  
"I'm sorry I said you weren't my mamma." she whispered.

"I know." Ariadne said. "Don't worry. I've sewn some money into the lining of your bag, enough for you to not need anything from Becky. If anything happens, I want you to take a taxi to the police station and tell them what happened. We have a lawyer for you here in the city."

Darcy was nodding as Ariadne stood and they linked fingers.

~ Ariadne spotted Becky right away. They were late coming out of the gate and Becky no doubt thought they had stood her up.

Becky glared angrily at Ariadne, dressed so well in her name brand clothing, and then her eyes grew wide at seeing Darcy.  
"Oh my goodness!" Becky said excitedly as Darcy tried to hide behind Ariadne. A task not made easy now that she was almost as tall as the Architect. "Look how much you've grown!"

Becky walked over to Darcy and tried to hug her.  
"Don't." Darcy said as she shifted away from the woman who she only remembered as her abuser.

"I'm you're mommy, sweetheart." Becky said as her hands went to Darcy's hair.  
"Stop touching me." Darcy said threateningly.

"I wasn't... I wasn't going to hurt you." Becky said as her hands went back to her purse. "It's just, you're so tall now and _skinny_! Don't they feed you in France?" Becky laughed with tears of joy.

Ariadne felt sorry for Becky in a way. If she were separated from Drew or the boys for six years, how would she handle a child who doesn't know her?  
"Darcy goes to a dance program. It keeps her very fit." Ariadne said.

Becky didn't want to look at the Architect, but since her own daughter was ignoring her, she had little choice.

"Anything else I should know?" Becky asked.  
"Yes." Ariadne told her handing her a thick file folder. "I've arranged for her to see a specialist about her cancer check ups here in the city. Arthur and I will cover the cost."

"I don't want anything from either of you except my daughter." Becky said harshly. "Now, I have that."

"It's not about you; it's about Darcy's needs." Ariadne said just as bitterly.

"Darcy, come on." Becky said brightly. "I can't wait for you to see your new home!"

Ariadne saw how Becky was almost like a school girl again as she took hold of Darcy's hand.

The girl with the blond curls wouldn't let go of Ariadne.

Becky looked at the Architect with loathing.  
"Do I need to call the police to get her to come? This is _my_ daughter, tell her she has to come home with me!" Becky snarled.  
"Mamma?" Darcy pleaded.  
"She's not your mother!" Becky shouted and yanked at Darcy more forcefully.

Ariadne was helpless as Becky almost dragged her child out of the airport and into a waiting cab.

~ "Now, I know you think that living in New York will be scary; but your dad and I lived here for years. We grew up here together, he used to take the bus with me to my apartment so I wouldn't be alone." Becky was saying as Darcy sat as far away from this woman as possible.

She ignored the woman as she fished into her dance bag for her cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Becky asked as Darcy scrolled down the address book.  
"Calling Papa." Darcy said casually.

"No." Becky said and pulled the cell phone from the girl's hand.  
"Hey!" Darcy snapped. "Give that back!"

"No, I don't want you calling those people or talking to them anymore. I'm you're mother and you're with me now. I won't have you running to them every time you don't like me. They are not your family, I am!" Becky told her.  
"Mamma told me to got to the police if you're mean to me." Darcy warned. "Even if you're nice to me. I remember what you did."

"She is not your mother." Becky hissed without looking at her daughter. "She's just your step mother."

"My real father's name is John Rosenberg, he's Papa's step father." Darcy corrected.  
Becky only looked out the window.

"Papa didn't want you, Becky. He loves Mama." Darcy went on with a seething anger in her voice.  
"You know they didn't even fight for you? They didn't hire a lawyer or anything for you. They told me to take you because you won't behave, and they have their own family." Becky said smartly. "I can show you the court documents if you like."

"I don't believe that." Darcy said.

Yet, the girl did believe it. She wanted to believe the worst, just like she wanted to believe anything any adult told her.  
"That doesn't change the fact that it's true. They didn't want you, why else would you be here?" Becky said scathingly.

Darcy put her hands up to her ears and didn't listen.

~ Ariadne checked into her hotel at the airport. She was tired after the long plane trip and wanted to go to sleep. A part of her wished Becky would do something horrible right away so that Darcy could come home. But she resigned herself to the fact that she might be here for a few weeks.

She had her cell phone on speaker as she flipped through American TV shows.

"How was the trip?" Arthur asked. His voice sounding too far away.  
"Fine. Darcy didn't talk much." Ariadne told him.

"What about Becky?" he asked. "I know it must have been hard to see her again after what happened.

"It was." Ariadne said. "She was glad to see Darcy again. She was mad Darcy calls me Mamma." Ariadne laughed.  
"Well, what is she supposed to call you?" Arthur grumbled.

"How are the kids?" she asked.  
"They'll be better when your home. We miss you." Arthur told her.  
"I miss you to. I was thinking I might stay in New York for a week or two. Just in case." Ariadne said.

"I thought you might." Arthur said. "It may interest you to know, I'm have a dinner date tonight with a beautiful, young brunette."

Ariadne smiled and tears clouded her vision as she heard Drew in the back ground. She could instantly see Arthur feeding her in her high chair. Her little girl's looking happy and perfect as she was sure half her meal was covering her sweet face.

"Well, make sure she gets a bath and that she's in bed before eight." Ariadne told him.

"I will." he promised.

He said nothing for a little while.  
"I'm sorry for what I said about Sammy and you not loving Darcy." he said.  
She said nothing.

"I just... you know I'm the husband and the father here. I'm supposed to be able to fix this." he went on. "I'm supposed to come in and fix all the problems and I can't fix this one."

"We tried. It's not over yet." she whispered.  
"I know you love Darcy." he told her. "When you lost your memory, I know she brought you back." he said.  
She said nothing.

"We're going to get her back, Ariadne."

"I just keep thinking... what it would be like to have our children taken away. To be told we weren't good parents and to have our kids come back to us almost grown." she said.

"Ariadne, our child _was_ taken away today." Arthur said softly.  
She sniffed and nodded.  
"I don't want you feeling sorry for Becky. She doesn't feel sorry for you." Arthur told her.  
"I know she doesn't." Ariadne agreed. "How's you're blood pressure?"

"It's fine." he said too quickly.

"What were the numbers?"

"It was fine."

"Arthur."

"Alright, it'll _be_ fine. Drew, you're mamma is so mean to your papa." he said to the baby and Drew made a baby talk in agreement.

Ariadne let out a laugh and wanted to be home with them just now.  
"I have to hang up soon. In case Darcy needs me." Ariadne said.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Arthur whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

~ Ariadne woke up in the middle of the night to bad dreams. She had been expecting Darcy to call her and nothing. She looked at her cell phone and saw it was still the middle of the night.

Should she call Darcy? What if she was in trouble and needed help? What if Becky had taken her phone away?

Rather then wake anyone up, Ariadne decided to wait until morning to call. She contented herself by looking over her sketchbooks.

Better then photo albums, the sketches felt like a living history for her of her family.

Dominic's kicking foot; sketching those after he was born. Daniel's face while he slept. Drew when she wanted something right away and looked too much like Ariadne.

Finally, there was Darcy's hair. The child's hair marked every page. She loved Darcy's wild coil like hair more then anything. She loved how it was untamed and had a life of it's own. How it could not be contained by bows or pins. Ariadne would moose it and tease it till it was larger then life, and then sketch it for hours. She would make Darcy sit in the sunlight so that hair would sparkle like gold.

Finally she came to end of her sketch book and saw a zip lock baggie of some of Darcy's wilder curls. It was when she had to cut off all of Darcy's beautiful hair for the radiation treatments. Ariadne had carefully sniped off the best tresses and put them safely in the baggie.

How could Darcy be anyone's child but hers? She had stayed up nights with her when she was too afraid to sleep and the bed wetting wouldn't stop. She had nursed her back to health when she was sick with normal childhood ailments. When she was stricken with cancer, Ariadne had worried and cried for her just like any mother.

Ariadne had fallen in love with her husband all over again when Darcy came to live with them. Darcy had made them a family. Not just two people who were living together, but a real family. The boys had an older sister who they loved and needed. Drew needed an older sister to look up to as well. Darcy was _their _child. How could anyone take her away?

Ariadne jumped as her phone rang.

She saw Darcy's caller ID and answered it.

"Darcy? Why haven't you called?" Ariadne asked the receiver.

"Is this Ariadne?" came a man's voice she didn't recognize.

"Who is this?" the Architect asked.

"I'm Mr. Miller. We met briefly at the hearing last month. I'm Rebecca Lawson's attorney." he said

"How did you get this number!" Ariadne shouted as she stood and started to get dressed.

This was it, they were pulling Darcy's body out of the East River right now. Becky had killed the Architect's little girl and now she had to go identify the body. Arthur would die of a broken heart, and Ariadne would be too grief stricken to raise the boys and Drew alone.

"I'm at Miss Lawson's apartment. She wants you to come collect Darcy." Mr. Miller said.

~ Becky didn't live in the most expensive neighborhoods, but it was nice enough.

Ariadne raced up the stairs to the apartment and the attorney let her in.

Becky was sitting on a chair by the window. A cigarette in her hand that reminded Ariadne of Arthur's habit to smoke when he was upset.  
"Where is she?" Ariadne asked.  
"She's in her room. She's fine." Mr. Miller said.

Ariadne made to go down a hallway to see Darcy when the lawyer called her back.

"Miss. Lawson has asked me to draw up emergency paper work to have you and your husband declared legal guardians." he said.

"What happened?" Ariadne hissed as she looked over the simple furnishings of Arthur's ex. It was a nice enough apartment. Nothing too fancy or too run down. It was good enough for anyone, but leagues out of the home Darcy knew in Paris.  
"It seems there was an argument. The girl and her mother had a fight." Mr. Miller explained.  
"Is Darcy alright?" Ariadne asked.  
"She's fine." Becky said tonelessly.

Ariadne looked at the woman who had stolen her child.

"Did you lose your temper again, Becky?" Ariadne growled.

Becky let fly a plum of smoke.  
"I wanted to hit her." she admitted sadly. "She was so... hateful. So deliberately mean. More so than when she was little. I wanted to slap that face of hers. I wanted to rip out all that hair."

Her eyes were cold as she looked out the window.  
"John had curly hair. She looks and acts just like the son of a bitch." she said bitterly.

Ariadne came to stand closer to Becky.  
"What happened?" she asked. Preparing for the worst.  
"She wouldn't call me mommy. Wouldn't eat the dinner I made. Wanted her cell phone back. I tried to tell her I was her mother, not you." Becky shook her head. "I don't know who she is, but that's not my child anymore."

"She's getting to be a handful now." Ariadne said gently. "Arthur is... he's really good at keeping her in line. Always has been."  
"Daddy's girl." Becky laughed. "I keep thinking if only Arthur hadn't left me, we would have been married by now. Just like we planned. But Darcy ruined it. She ruined everything. Then you came along and ruined it again. I just... I hate the two of you so much. You've both ruined my life." Becky said drearily.  
"Becky." Ariadne said sternly. "If we take Darcy back, it's permanent. We won't be having another court hearing when she's sixteen and you want to play mommy again."

"I'm her mother." Becky snapped. "You stole her from me. You have no idea what it's like to have a child you love taken away from you."

"Becky, thanks to you... I do know what that feels like." Ariadne said softly.

Becky glared at her. Ariadne thought for an irrational moment the woman might jump up and hit her.

"You take her back to Paris. I always wanted Arthur to be her father. You and that brat deserve each other." Becky sighed.

~ Darcy was in tears when the Architect went into her tiny little room.  
"Mamma!" she cried as she held the bear Arthur had given her six years ago.

"It's okay Darcy." Ariadne said as the girl wrapped her long arms around the Architect.  
"I want to go home!" she cried.

"We're going home. Right now." Ariadne said.

~ Darcy didn't even look at Beck as they left the apartment and went back to the hotel.

~ In the morning, Ariadne called the lawyers and had Becky sign over all parental rights to Darcy.

"You'll have to re-adopt her, but with the mother's consent and the fact she's been with you for so long, I don't see how it will be a problem. You can even take her back to France now." he said.

~ Back on the plane once more, Darcy snuggled closer to her mother.

"Mamma?" Darcy said as she looked over Ariadne's sketch book.  
"What?" the Architect asked as she ran her fingers over Darcy's wonderful hair.  
"Thank you." she said.

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me. I know I'm not perfect, but you love me anyway." Darcy said as the girl looked over the sketches of her own hair.

"Of course I love you." Ariadne whispered.

"I was surprised you were able to come get me. I thought you had left the country and I was alone." Darcy confessed.  
"I would never leave you alone." Ariadne whispered.

Darcy snuggled deeper into the Architect arms.  
"I couldn't make Becky happy. She was just so... _angry_." Darcy explained.  
"She has a lot about her life she regrets." Ariadne told her daughter.

"She regrets having me." Darcy said. "She wishes I were dead."

"Well, your papa and I don't wish that." Ariadne told her and nuzzled her face into that wonderful hair.

Darcy said nothing as the plane flew effortlessly back home.  
"Darcy, your papa still doesn't know you're coming home. How should we tell him?" Ariadne asked playfully.  
"We have to think of something really mean. Like you're glad I'm not coming home." Darcy said with a grin.  
"That's too mean."

"No it's not." Darcy said. "You can say, I'm_ sooo _glad she's gone, just like we planed. Then papa will be like: No! I want her back! How can you say such horrible things!"

Ariadne giggled.  
"Oh? Then you can pop out and scare him?" she asked. "That actually could work. Good idea."

"All my ideas are good ones." Darcy insisted.  
"The earnings wasn't a good idea." Ariadne told her.  
"I want to dye my hair pink next." Darcy told her.  
"No, Darcy. Absolutely not." Ariadne said sternly.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. I'm you're mother, you're just eleven and you are never dying this hair pink or any other color for as long as you live!"

"It's my hair!"

"That's what you think!" Ariadne snapped as she felt a good argument with her daughter start.

**~ END ~**

** I wanted to have some sympathy for Becky. After all, she did lose her child. **

** I changed the title because, when I stared writing, I wanted Arthur to be the hero in this. **

** But, like always, I let the story grow into that it wants to become. **

** When I start a new story, I have no idea how it will end and what the details will be. In this case, Ariadne had to prove she was Darcy's mother and Arthur wasn't able to protect the child he loves. **


End file.
